Wednesday, 20 July 2011

Harry Potter's Final Filmic Installment

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 220 July 2011

The final filmic chapter in the Harry Potter series is significantly less disappointing than its predecessor. There continue to be a number of scenes written specifically for the film version, and many deviations from the flowing plot line of the book, but the viewer is less inclined to notice and indeed can look favourably on the embellishments for certain characters (Matthew Lewis’ homely hero Neville Longbottom, for example). The film balances story telling and resolution with heavy amounts of magical action, and though at times the balance is a little skewed, the overall effect is fantastical. Emma Watson’s Hermione continues to be mildly irritating but Daniel Radcliffe’s all too wooden portrayal of Potter is less offensive than in previous years, and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) simply never fails to please. Disappointing perhaps was the use of some of the older stars of the piece – Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent and even Julie Walters are given an extremely meagre portion of the action. As well as this, the film skirts over the emotional capacity of the deaths of some of the popular characters in favour of more flash bang action. Overall, the film really is a must for anyone familiar with Potter. Fans of the books may be slightly disgruntled at the editing and invention of the final instalment, but it is a valiant swan song from the Potter cast and crew. How it fares in 3D remains to be seen, but the old fashioned 2D version was most acceptable.